Archive

With already a great start to the year, I don‘t need to say much. For a few paragraphs, let’s rattle off a few things that happened in The City—Good Hope Young Adult Ministry in 2009.

Accomplishments

*30+ professions of faith.

*30+ baptisms

*Many new young adult members have joined and are attending our church services, fellowships, and bible studies and more are being added weekly.

*Introduced countless people in the Third Ward Area to the good news that Jesus saves from sin.

*Continued the The Real Word Bible Study – Romans, Ephesians, and parts of Acts were covered this year.

*Continued Good Hope Mission to Cuny Homes

*Building community by building accountability

*The Morning After outreach to Rice, University of Houston, and Texas Southern University.

*Improved our online community to 1000+ young adults from all over the greater Houston Area and the world via Facebook, Twitter, and .

*Started online radio show and blog which serves as a ministry opportunity for young adults.

*Continued C.H.A.O.S. fellowships that are outreaches to the community

*Vastly improved publicity of events particularly word of mouth

*Improved volunteer base of the ministry and church as bonds of disicpleship have begun to form.

*Served our community in many ways including: serving the homeless population; volunteering with the Angel Tree ministry; cleaning our church; cooking for and praying with AIDS patients; volunteering with the Angel Tree Ministry.

*Started the City Council, which provides collegiate leadership to our young adult ministry.

*Provided theological and leadership training to college students as it became available.

*Partnered with young adult leaders on the University of Houston, Rice, and HCC campus to provide gospel-centered teachers focused on making disciples.

*Partnered with ministries and participated in revivals and campus programs that led to conversions.

Many of you allowed God to work powerfully thru you. I love and appreciate God’s goodness as He has so wonderfully shown through you!

Improvements to be made

God has blessed us mightly. Just like with salvation, he blessed us in spite of ourselves. Some wise guy said, “the biggest room in the house is always the room for improvement.“ In following Pastor’s pronouncement for us to go from “Good to Great,“ there are always ways in which we can use our time, talents, and treasures more effectively.

*We need to be more effective in our prayer life.

*More targeted discipleship between church and young adults.

This year we are doing events that allow us to bridge the generational gap and truly become intentional at discipling people and providing mentorship

*Train and equip more people to do what we do, so that God’s work may be multiplied.

*Hold each other accountable to do God’s work well and not half-step – He didn’t, He gave his very best, his Son!

*Hold each other accountable in our walk and yield to God’s desire for us to live lives worthy of our calling.

Focus for this Year

*This year we will focus on building the people that God is sending. More one-on-one, more fellowship, and more helping people to understand their faith and share their faith. (1 Peter 3:15)

*Less time and focus doing programs and more time spent discipling and hanging out. It is this loosely structured time that makes all the difference in the world in shaping people for their purpose.

*Strengthen our ties to the TSU community.

*Integrating young adults in all ministries of our church particularly our youth and children.

*Continue to develop online radio presence and blog which we feel will get the Good News out about Jesus by any means necessary.

Let’s Partner with God

Again, we have had a great year, not because of all the stuff we have done, but we have all seen visible impact in people’s lives as a result of God working in the midst of us.

Remember our mission as a ministry:

“To reach young adults primarily in the Third Ward Area with the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to equip those young adults who have accepted Him as Lord with the wisdom that comes through the Word of God.”

God tells us specifically in his word that we ask anything in his name, that means anything that he has ordained for us to do and would bring him glory, he will do honor our request and partner with us. John 14:14. Let’s partner with God and get it done. I love you and I will continue to pray for you. Pray for me too.

I’m excited that God has brought us into a new year and new things are in store. Hopefully, you didn’t miss me!! For a few paragraphs, let’s rattle off a few things that people in The City—Good Hope Young Adult Ministry did in 2008.

Accomplishments

*3 professions of faith (really the Holy Spirit did this)

*2 baptisms

*Many new young adult members have joined and are attending our church services, fellowships, and bible studies and more are being added weekly.

*Introduced countless people in the Third Ward Area to the good news that Jesus saves from sin.

*Started the Real Word bible study for young adults.

*Started a Good Hope Mission to Cuny Homes

*Building community by building accountability

*The Morning After outreach to Rice, University of Houston, and Texas Southern University.

*Built an online community of 300+ young adults from all over the greater Houston Area and the world.

*Developed Jesus-based fellowships and discussion for young adults through C.H.A.O.S. (Christ Has All Our Solutions)

*Served our community in many ways including: cleaning our church; cooking for and praying with AIDS patients; volunteering with the Angel Tree Ministry, a ministry that serves children of the incarcerated; seeking out and meeting the needs of people that live within a three-block radius of the church.

*Started an Evangelism program for people who want to be equipped with the message of the gospel.

Most of this was done without an actual budget and by a labor of love of many of you who have a passion for young adults. We have really seen God move within our midst, and we are on the verge of greater things this year.

Some of you gave your very lives. Some of you gave your time. Some of you opened doors. Some of you gave facilities. Some of you gave patience. Some of you gave advice. Some of you gave ideas. Some of sacrificed when needed. Some of you gave energy. Some of you gave love. Some of you gave the good news to people who needed it. Some of you gave your money. Some of you gave your resources. Some of you were a patient ear. Some of you brought common sense. Some of you brought laughter. Some of your brought a hungry heart and a listening ear. Some of you brought a song. But all of you were used by God to reach His people, and it was beautiful to behold.

Improvements to be made

God has blessed us mightly. Just like with salvation, he blessed us in spite of ourselves. Some wise guy said, “the biggest room in the house is always the room for improvement.“ There are always ways in which we can use our time, talents, and treasures more effectively.

*We need to be more effective in our personal prayer life.

Listen to what E.M. Bounds says on prayer:

“What the Church needs to-day is not more machinery or better, not new organizations or more and novel methods, but men whom the Holy Ghost can use — men of prayer, men mighty in prayer. The Holy Ghost does not flow through methods, but through men. He does not come on machinery, but on men. He does not anoint plans, but men — men of prayer.”

*We need to be be a closer community – rejoicing with each other, praying with each other, weeping with each other, and accountable with each other.

The Christian life is not led in isolation. It’s not about you becoming a better you or you living your best life now. Its about us becoming better together. Jesus talks to a community of believers. The New Testament letters were mostly written to communities. Look at all the one another’s the Bible puts out there.

Live in harmony with one another (Romans 12:16)

Love one another (Romans 13:8)

Accept one another (Romans 15:7)

Instruct one another (Romans 15:14)

Greet one another (Romans 16:16)

Serve one another (Galatians 5:13)

Be kind and compassionate to one another (Ephesians 4:32)

Speak to one another (Ephesians 5:19)

Admonish one another (Colossians 3:16)

Encourage one another (Hebrews 3:13)

Spur one another on (Hebrews 10:24)

Offer hospitality to one another (1 Peter 4:9)

Let us put away the pride and come together to sharpen each other and build each other. After all, we are The City!

*Better planning and better publicity.

Some events didn’t get the coverage that others did. But everything we do is equally important and vital to the ministry.

*Train and equip more people to do what we do, so that God’s work may be multiplied.

*Improve our communication with each other and as as a group.

*Hold each other accountable to do God’s work well and not half-step – He didn’t, He gave his very best, his Son!

*Hold each other accountable in our walk and yield to God’s desire for us to live lives worthy of our calling.

Focus for this Year

*This year we will focus on building the people that God is sending. More one-on-one, more fellowship, and more helping people to understand their faith and share their faith. (1 Peter 3:15)

*More follow-through with our outreaches. Our outreaches and their impact has been felt by even our leaders. However, after the event is gone, what are we providing for the places that we leave behind.

*Strengthen our relationship with campuses and communities within the Third Ward.

*Get more people involved in loving our community with us. Our experiences this year were life changing.

*Begin to think about how we can integrate what we do with the rest of the church. For example, getting young adults more involved with our youth. Or pair young adults with some of our older members for mentoring opportunities.

*Possible Young Adult Conference

Let’s Partner with God

Again, we have had a great year, not because of all the stuff we have done, but we have all seen visible impact in people’s lives as a result of God working in the midst of us.

Remember our mission as a ministry“

“To reach young adults primarily in the Third Ward Area with the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to equip those young adults who have accepted Him as Lord with the wisdom that comes through the Word of God.”

God tells us specifically in his word that we ask anything in his name, that means anything that he has ordained for us to do and would bring him glory, he will do honor our request and partner with us. John 14:14. Let’s partner with God and get it done. I love you and I will continue to pray for you. Pray for me too!